Roadway and vehicle for traveling thereon.



vPATENTED JULY 21, 1903.

, .L B. HANSLER. ROADWAY AND VEHICLE FOR TRAVELING THEREON.

APPLICATION IILED 00T. 2, 1902.

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NO MODEL.

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PATBNTED JULY 2l, 1903.

J, .1a. HANSLBR. ROADWAY AND lVEHICLE PoR TRAVBLING THB-REON.

APPLIATION HLnn'ooT. 2. 1902. A

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we Noms mens cu. wevmno.. msummsmn UNITED STATES Patented July 21, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. HANSLER, OF NEWBIIRGH, NEW YORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 734,061, dated July 21, 1903.

Application led October 2, 1902.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. HANsLEE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newburgh, in the county of Orange and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Roadway and Vehicle for Traveling Thereon, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description.

The invention relates to bcycletracks, such as shown and described in the Letters Patent of the United States No. 580,686, granted to me April 13, 1897.

The object of the invention is to provide anew and improved roadway for vehicles which is simple, durable, and cheap in construction, more especially designed for use by automobiles and other similar power-pro pelled vehicles, and arrranged to properly steer the vehicle without the aid of an operator in charge of the vehicle and to allow of safely running the vehicle at a high rate of speed.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be more fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a plan view of the improvement. Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section of the same on the line 2 2 in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is asimilar View of a modified form of the same, and Fig. 5 is a crosssection of the same.

The improvement illustrated in Figs. l, 2, and 3 consists, essentially, of a wheel-track formed by two track-rails A, spaced a suitable distance apart and formed of iiat metal plates resting directly on the ground, the ends of adjacent plates being connected with each other at the under side by fish-plates B, and the oppositely-located sh-plates of the track-rails are rigidly connected with each other by a cross-beam C, bolted or otherwise fastened with the fish-plates to the rail-plates to form a rigid track on the ground as plainly illustrated in the drawings.

The rails A are anchored in the ground by Serial No. 125,666. (No model.)

suitable pins I), secured Ito the rails and eX- tending downward from the same to carry F of the automobile or other vehicle G, it being understood that the plates forming the rails are of a su'fcient width to readily accommodate the vehicle-wheels F to allow sidewise movement thereof to a limited extent, but sucient to insure safe running of the wheels on the rails. The inner portions of the faces of the plates forming the rails A are preferably corrugated or roughened, as at A', and the outer portions of the said plates are provided with upwardly-extending lugs A2, spaced suitable distances apart, to act as guards for the wheels F to prevent the same from running off the rails.

forming the rails are mounted to travel wheels In order to properly steer the vehicle G g without any aid whatever from the operator in charge of the vehicle, I provide a steeringrail H, preferably triangular in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 2and having side iianges H', bolted or otherwise secured to the crossbeam' C, as plainly shown in Fig.r1. The steering-rail H is located midway between the side rails of the track and flanked by jaws I, pivoted at I' on the lower end of an arm J, secured to the front axle K of the vehicle G, and the said jaws I are pivotally connected at their outer faces with an upwardlyextending link L, connected by a spring L' with a lever N, fulcrumed in the body of the vehicle G and adapted to be locked to a segment N', carried in the said vehicle-body. New by holding the lever N locked in a normal position the jaws I extend close to the opposite sides of the steering-'rail H, so that the vehicle is guided by the said jaws following the steering-rail, and consequently the wheels F of the vehicle G travel properly on the rails A.

When it is desired to brake the vehicle, `the -operator'then swings the lever N downward,

so asto close the jaws I upon the sides of the steering-rail H, and when it is desired to run the vehicle off the track onto the road then the operator swings the hand-lever N upward, so as to completely open the jaws I--that is, to swing the same above the top of the steer ing-rail H-to allow of running the vehicle o the rails of the roadway.

The steering rail H is anchored to the ground in a similar manner to that of the side railsthat is, the flanges H' are provided with dependingr pins D', carrying anchoring-Y blocks E', embedded in the ground.

The steering of the vehicle may bo accomplished in a different manner, as indicated, for instance, in Figs. 4 and 5, in which the steering-rail H2 is provided on the top with a longitudinally-extending groove H3 and on its sides with grooves H4, the groove H3 being engaged by a small wheel or roller O,

' journaled in the free end of a spring O', se-

cured to a beam P, extending upwardly and fulcrumed atP' on the axle K', carrying wheels F' of a vehicle G', the pivoted end of the beam P being pressed on on opposite sides by springs P2, as plainly indicated in Fig. 5. The side grooves H4are engaged by small wheels or rollers Q,journa1ed in the free ends of springs Q', attached to the beam P, the same as the spring O', and the forward portion of the said beam P is spring-supported from the vehicle G'that is, a spring R is connected at one end with the said beam and at its other end with a turnbuckle S, attached to the body of the vehicle G'.

Now by the arrangement described the wheels O and Q travel on the steering-rail H2, and as the said wheels are journaled in the springs O' and Q', attached to the beam P, it is evident that the axle K', on which the beam is fulcrumed, causes a steering of the wheels F' to keep the same on the rails H2 of the track. The springs O' and Q' readily accommodate the wheels O and Q to sharp curves or unevenness in the steering-rail.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. A roadway for vehicles, comprising parallel track-rails, the inner top portion of said rails being roughened, anges formed on the outer top portion of said rails, cross-beams connecting said rails, means for anchoring the track-rails and the cross-beams in the ground, and a triangular steering-rail lying between the parallel track-rails, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a wheeled vehicle provided with a depending arm secured to one of the axles thereof, and having jaws pivotally secured to said arm, of Hat trackrails for the vehicle-wheels to run on, a steering-rail between the track-rails iianged and adapted to be engaged by the pivoted jaws, and means for actuating said jaws, substantially as set forth.

3. A roadway for vehicles, comprising parallel track-rails made from metal plates, lishplates for connecting the metal plates with each other, cross-beams 011 which opposite sh-plates are secured, and means comprising a block, having a pin extending therethrough for anchoring the track-rails and cross-beams in the ground, as set forth.

4. A roadway for vehicles, comprising parallel track-rails made from metal plates, fishplates for connecting the metal plates with each other, cross-beams on which opposite I ish-plates are secured, means for anchoring the track-rails and cross-beams in the ground, and a steering-rail, having the ends of its members secured to the orossbeams, the steering rail being located approximately midway between the track-rails, as set forth.

5. The combination with-a wheeled vehicle having a steering device under control of the operator, said steering device comprising a bracket or arm secured to the vehicle-axle, jaws pivotally connected to said arm, trackrails, comprising roughened metallic plates for the wheels to run on, a triangular steering-rail between the track-rails, flanked by and adapted to be engaged by said jaws, and means for actuating said jaws, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with a wheeled vehicle having a steering device provided with movable jaws under the control of the operator, of track-rails consisting of metal plates for the vehicle-wheels to run on, and a steeringrail between the track-rails, flanked by and adapted to be engaged by the said jaws, and means connected with said jaws and under control of the operator and moving said jaws into engagement with the steering-rail, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN B. HANSLER.

Witnesses:

THEO. G. HosTER, JNO. M. RITTER.

IOO 

